Latching door for enclosures



me/whom 2 Sheets-Sheet l :CccnJrEcc Cucccccccc EccJcccccccccCEEcccccc e0 o 0 o 5 3 0 M 0 0 Y 2 l 4 W o A 2 o s N m @QA A E.

W. E. SWENSON LATCHING DOOR FOR ENCLOSUR'ES l l-I--l July 6, 194s,

Filed April 6, 1946 PIE l July 6, 1948..

w. E. swENsoN LATCHING DOOR FOR ENCLOSURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y Filed April 6, 1946 Patented Juiy 6, i948 LATCHING DOOR FOR ENCLOSURES William E. Swenson, St. Paul, Minn., assigner to Minneapolis-Moline Power Implement Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application April 6, 1946, Serial No. 660,268

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in enclosures for power plants.

The usual stationary or portable power plant includes an internal combustion engine and all accessory apparatus, and an enclosure or hood assembly for the engine to protect it from the elements. Such enclosure generally has single doors or sliding :panels at its sides which may be opened, in the case ci fthe doors, or slid aside and removed in the case ofthe sliding panels, for inspection of theengine, servicing and like operations. However, particularly in the case of very large power plants, the single doors are cumbersome and even when swung up or down, or moved aside, as the case may be, do not permit free access to all parts of the engine. It is frequently found, as a result, that the operator of the engine will entirely remove the doors and lay them aside and they then are often misplaced, run over or stepped upon Aand bent out of shape so that they cannot be replaced.

It is the primary object of my invention to so improve enclosures of this type that access may be readily obtained to all parts of the engine and the utmost in convenience provided in this operation so that there will ordinarily be nov reason for the operator to remove the enclosures. Another object is to` provide a power plant enclosure in which each side of the engine is protected by a pair of swinging doors or door panels, either of which may be swung about a common horizontal hinge axis to permit access to either the upper or lower parts of the engine, or both, when inspection or servicing is needed or to provide for best ventilation and weather protection under all conditions.. Still another'object'is to provide a multi-panel, or door, side enclosure of this character with a novel arrangement for locking the doors in various positions, and with the supports for the doors so arranged that they may be readily removed entirely 'from the power plant whenever required. Y

These and other more detailed and specifi-c objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a power plant having an enclosure in accordance with my invention, both the upper and lower doors or panels being here shown in closed positions.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but with the lower door opened.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, with the upper door opened.

Fig. 4 is a front end View, showing the arcs through which the doors may swing and with a section broken away to better' illustrate one of the latches.

Referring to the drawing now more particularly and by reference characters, A designates generally the engine of a conventional power plant and B the enclosure which as here shown conventionally includes at its forward end a radiator C, at its rear end a similarly shaped rear housing D, and a top hood E which connects the radiator and housing and forms a permanent top cover for the engine. The open spaces at the sides between the radiator C and housing D and below the downwardly turned lateral edges of the hood E are usually closed either by a single hinged door at each side, or by sliding door panels, and it will be readily apparent that, particularly in the case of the very large power plants, such doors or .panels are `quite large and heavy. Further it will be evident that the single doors will be awkward and much in the way when opened for receiving the engine and, as stated heretofore, this is largely the reason why they are often removed and laid aside by the operator. The engine is then left exposed to the elements, when it is operated out of doors, and the doors frequently become so damaged by cars and trucks running over them, or from being stepped upon, thatthey cannot again be used.

In accordance with my invention I provide for each side opening a pair of swingable doors or door panels as will now be described. At each" side I provide an upper door or panel Ill and similar lower door or ydoor panel I I and join the respective lower and upper edges of these by forming intertting hinge loops I2 through which is positioned a hinge rod I3. The shape and size of the doors I0 and I I are such that they will cover respectively the upper and lower halves of the side opening when they are closed, as seen in Fig. l, and to support the doors I provide a bracket forming a hinge eye I4 secured to the rear edge of the opening upon the side of the housing D and at the proper level and in line therewith at the front another bracket having an upwardly pointing hook I5 is provided and secured to the radiator C. The length of the hinge rod I3 is such that it projects a short distance both forwardly and rearwardly from the doors and its rearv end may thus be inserted into the eye I4 and its forward end dropped into the notch inside the hook I5 to support the doors as will be understood. Also as will be readily apparent, the doors may be re` moved by lifting the hinge rod from the hook and pulling it out of the eye.

Both doors I0 and II have Ventilating louvers I6 and l1 and the lower door II is curved at `its lower edge I8 to follow the contour of the diator C and housing D.

The upper door I0 is provided, adjacent its upper corners, with vertically elongated and upright slots I9 which cooperate with conventional latches 2Q. In similar fashion the lower door Il has slots 2l but these are elongated or extendedr horizontally and cooperate-with latches 22. All off the latches 2li and 22 are oi the well.

known form having an outer wing or yoke portion and stems 23 (Fig. 4) extending slidablyl and rotatably inward through suitable brackets` 24 secured to the rear of the radiator C and forward edge of the enclosure D. Each sternv 23 is provided, inwardly of the associated bracket- 24, with an expansion coil spring 25 braced loetween the bracket and a collar 25 secured to the stem and the arrangement is obviously such that,

when the latches are turned crosswise to their" slots, they will engage the margins thereof and the springs will hold the doors tightly closed. Gln thev other hand, the latches may be pulled out against the tension of the springs and turned parallel or into alignment with the slots.' and-when released the slots-will-clear the latches asthe'doors are opened.

Itv willnow loe apparent that either the upe per or lower doors l'or l I may be readily opened tofallow'access to upper or lower parts of the.

engine; A, and thatv each door, being only half the size-o16 thev usual single doors, will be light and easily; operated. The relative angles of the slots I9 and 2lv is important in that, as in Fig 2, when the loweridoor ll is swung up flat against-.the upper door l@ the slots il will slip over the upper latches 2'23,whioh are horizontall be turned down atagainst the lower doory ll and in this case the vertical slots lil will clear the', lower latches 22, which are vertical at the time, and the doors may-beflatched in such posi tionfby: turning' the lower latches horizontally and'-y crosswise 'tothe slots I9. Thisposition or the doors-- provides the maximum ofr ventilation for the upper parts of the engine as will lbe apparent.

It is understood that suitable niodiiications maybemade in the structure as disclosed, providedsu'chmodiications come within the spiritY Having newA and scope of the appended claims. therefore fullyillustrated and described my invent-ion, what I claim to be new and desireto protect by Letters Patent'is:

1. A-d0or structure for closingfthe side openingf of an' enclosure comprising upper and lower door'sfadaptedtoseparately close upper and lower partsofsaidopening, the upper and lower doorsbeing connectedV alongtheir respective lower and upper edgeszby a hinge supported on the enclosure andiinsuchmanner that the upper door may be`V openedrand swung down against thelower door, while the latter remains closed, or the lower door. opened and swung upwardly against theupper: door'whilef the upper door remains closed,-

latchmeans `for the upper'door. and also oper-V ative to latch the lower vdoor when swung upwardly'against' the upper door, and separate latch means for'the lowerdoor' operative also to latchthe-upperl door, when it is lowered against the` lower door.

2. A.. door,V structure for closing the side opening'of anrenclosurjecomprising, upper and lower Con-y 4 doors adapted to close upper and lower parts of said opening, the said doors being hinged respectively at their lower and upper edges whereby the doorsmay be opened' one` at a. time and the upper' door rr'ray beiswug down' against the lower door to open the upper part of the opening or the lower door swung upward against the upper door to open the lower part of the opmng, and' lat'chmeansfor holding the doors closed and operative to hold either door against the other when one oill the doors is opened.

'parts' of said` opening, the said doors being hinged? respectively at their lower and upper edges whereby the doors may be opened one at a time andthe upper door may b e: swung. down against the lower door to open the. upper part of the opening or the lower doorswungiupward against the upper doorto. opethe. lower part. of the opening, one door, having slots extending. in. one direct-ion` andthe other. having slots: ex't'en'di'n'g. in a different direction, andlrotarylatches fort engaging'. the Vnrargins off. the. slots for holding the door iribothopened andl cl'osed positions'.`

4; An enclosureV having; an o'peri'ng` closed by a pair of doors. alongadjacent. edgesto fldlon'e againstthe other, onedoorl havingfa sl'o'tqa latch memberV adapted to passthrou'gh sa'i'd" slot aridhel turned. at right angles thereto to' holcl' the; door' closed, andthe. second" door'. having a. slot. arid a` similar lat-chmember..x forholdingf iti closed, and," the-last' mentioned. slbtbeiii'gf pds'it'io'ned a't right angles to. thelirst. slotwheeby wle' eitherdbbi" is foldedV dat' against the other.' its slotl willfbe aligned withand willi clear the. latch.In'enlle'rY for' the other door which may'thenlbeturnedto latch the doors one againstthe other;

5.. Adoor structureren closing"` the. side4 opening of an enclosure, upper4 lower doors hinged're'- spectively atloweiuppere'dg'es' xitherebyv the upper' door may` be openedA add-folded' down'- againstthelower do'ori'or the lwerf door Ir'iafybeopened. and folded up fiat'Y against, the' upperJ door,

the upper doorf having at least one slot', al'atltzl'i` adapted to pass. through. s'ai'cll sl'cit" an`cl` be turned at. right angles, thereto td l'i'oldthdoor closed; the. lower door also; having a'slot", a latch adapted to pass through the s'lbtlih' th'e lower door' and' he turned, at right angles thereto t'o hold the door closed; andthe slots' in the ddo'r's'being extended'. at rightfangles. to each' other whereby' as either. door is opened its'slot willlbe alignedwith the latch ofthe otherr doo'a'ndma'y pass there-` over. after'which-.the latch' nia'yle'turned' to hold both doors'at. against e'acl o'th'er".

SWENSGNL REFERENCES; oi'rfriii Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,444,543. July 6, 1948.

WILLIAM E. SWENSON It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctlon as follows: Column 4, line 28, claim 4, after the Word doors insert hinged; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thls ooorrection therein that the same may conform t0 the record of the case in the Patent Hice.

Signed and sealed this 21st .day of September, A. D. 1948.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Uommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

